The Virginia Gazette

The Williamsburg Planning Commission recommended the approval of a special-use permit allowing Colonial Williamsburg to hold its Summer Breeze concert series on the lawn of the Dewitt Wallace Decorative Art Museum at a special meeting on Wednesday, May 23. At the meeting, the Colonial Williamsburg...

Rodrigo Arriaza / Virginia Gazette

If approved by City Council next month, the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation plans to move its Summer Breeze concert series from Merchants Square to the lawn of the art museum.

If approved by City Council next month, the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation plans to move its Summer Breeze concert series from Merchants Square to the lawn of the art museum. (Rodrigo Arriaza / Virginia Gazette)

Now in its mid-teens, the Kingsmill Championship has been determined in regulation and overtime. It’s been shortened by monsoon rains and graced by ideal weather. But regardless of duration or conditions, Pete Dye’s River Course invariably produces an elite winner. Ariya Jutanugarn’s playoff victory...

Ariya Jutanugarn seemed to have another championship in the bag. Until she didn’t, and the Kingsmill Championship went to a three-way playoff for the first time in its 14-year history. No matter. Smiling all the while — after all, she loves to play — Jutanugarn held off Nasa Hataoka and In Gee...

Walsingham Academy already had waited more than 70 years for a first baseball state championship, so what’s another 3 hours, 10 minutes and 10 innings? The wait finally ended when Jack Estep scored from second base on a steal and overthrow in the bottom of the 10th to give the Trojans a 6-5 win...

Life

At first glance, Charlotte Brontë’s 19th-century exploration of social class, religion and what it means to be an individual in her literary staple “Jane Eyre” might not seem an obvious fit for the whimsicality of musical theater. But the creative minds at the Williamsburg Players hope to surprise...

York County is encouraging citizens to apply for appointments to the York County Arts Commission, an advisory body under the county Board of Supervisors that focuses on arts and culture. The commission oversees the York County Arts Commission Grant Program, which reviews requests for funding from...

Wow. First, JoAnn Falletta announced she’ll be stepping down from the Virginia Symphony in 2020 and then Janna Hymes announced doing the same, departing the Williamsburg Symphony Orchestra following the 2018-19 season. Certainly the impact of Falletta on the VSO and the international attention...

Dabble in Discovery: Learn about the natural world’s wonders with the help of an expert naturalist. 1-3 p.m. Saturday at York River State Park. $4 parking per vehicle. Williamsburg Bird Club Bird Walk: Check out the sights and sounds of local birds with a group of like-minded enthusiasts. 8-10...

Opinion

The unnecessary loss of life at Sante Fe High School is so very sad. Prayers for the mentally and physically injured. Prayers for the resource officer and those who stopped the carnage. Damn the sicko that attacked. I also pray that all Americans harden all of their schools. Parents must be held...

What ever happened to the good old days when the worst things we had to fear on Memorial Day were traffic jams and indigestion? Folks setting to break out their outdoor grill this Memorial Day face a nasty choice. If they undercook their hamburgers, hot dogs and chicken nuggets, their family and...

Having lived in Williamsburg for decades and walked the streets of Historic Colonial Williamsburg daily, it is easy for me to recognize that this town was the cradle of American democracy. On the other hand, I grew up and lived in Czechoslovakia and Hungary and had the opportunity to absorb the...

Maybe responsibility is a better word; the word control can be scary. Actually, people want someone to be responsible, so we might start seeing changes. Now another school shooting, and this one might be remembered until the next one. What has changed is how quickly people can forget; it is taking...

National News

In a dramatic diplomatic turn, President Donald Trump on Thursday called off next month's summit with North Korea's Kim Jong Un, calling the cancellation a "tremendous setback" for peace and stressing that the US military was ready to respond to any "foolish or reckless acts" by the North. Trump...

House and Senate lawmakers from both parties are meeting with top intelligence officials Thursday for classified briefings as President Donald Trump has raised new suspicions about the federal investigation into his 2016 campaign. Trump is calling his newest attempt at discrediting special counsel...

The autonomous Uber SUV that struck and killed an Arizona pedestrian in March spotted the woman about six seconds before hitting her, but did not stop because the system used to automatically apply brakes in potentially dangerous situations had been disabled, according to federal investigators....

An abortion debate that has inflamed passions in Ireland for decades will come down to a single question on Friday: yes or no? The referendum on whether to repeal the country's strict anti-abortion law is being seen by anti-abortion activists as a last-ditch stand against what they view as a European...

Last Word

Sales tax increase I don’t appreciate the sneaky way this tax hike is being motored through to support tourism and another-named slush fund. Please list the names and phone numbers of who we can call in Richmond for York, James City and Williamsburg to let our voices be heard. Thank you. Editor’s...

Sales tax increase Instead of a 1 percent sales tax increase to feed the tourism oligarchs, how about an increase to promote affordable housing for the people who do the work that runs the tourism industry in the area? Seems like the Chamber of Commerce, JCC Supervisors and the Williamsburg City...

Florida shootings A question for Congress: Why is the possession of assault weapons more important than school children's lives? Don't those children have a right, under the Constitution, to live full lives, in liberty and in the pursuit of happiness? I’m in high school and I’m scared to go to...

Shooting in Florida To all those who write in demanding rights to carry in schools, churches and other public places: do you also demand similar rights for convicted criminals, the mentally ill and those with restraining orders? Should they be allowed to build up arsenals of assault weapons? Anyone...